Cycle Support in Power Lifting USA Magazine

I just found out that a writer at Power Lifting USA Magazine said the following in an article he wrote. Keep in mind I have never been in contact with anyone at that magazine, have never paid for an ad and never given anyone there free supplements.

This is an excerpt:

So what I am going to recommend here is no doubt the best single preventative formula that contains several different proven ingredients all in one formula. The answer is Cycle Support and it is made by a company called Anabolic Innovations.

Q: Hey Anthony I am a pharmaceutically enhanced lifter and have used steroids and other performance enhancing drugs for over 10 years. I have won the Nationals three times and placed second at the World Championships twice. I have used just about every steroid out there including every form of Testosterone, EQ, Deca, Winstrol, Dianabol, Trenbolone and the powerlifting star choice…A-Bombs. I know you are not one of those guys out there that look down on athletes that make the decision to use pharmaceuticals in their pursuit for a bigger total and this is why I came to you for some help. In the past I will admit I wasn’t the most health conscious individual on the planet but now that I am 37 and after reading your column for as long as I can remember I feel like its time for a change. I still plan on using anabolic steroids in my training program but would like some advice to help keep myself healthy long term. I know this is something that I should have seriously looked into a decade ago when I decided to take the plunge but I guess its better late than never. I was wondering if you could recommend some natural supplements or herbs which can help prevent side effects from the pharmaceutical plan that I will be running. I know I need to be responsible and that is why I am coming to your for advice on tips that can help keep my body protected during my cycle. Thanks again for all your help as I truly appreciate any time you can spare to answer my question.

Name withheld by Request

A: Well I appreciate your kind words about my breakfast series. I tried to do a thorough job to help educate the Powerlifter of where they are going wrong and what they need to change to help maximize the first meal of the day. Yes you are correct that I do have a “Tell it like it Is” mentality and that is why I tackle real problems that are faced by lifters and give them ways to change them. I could just quote study after study in my column or talk about the inner science of nutrition or physiology but in reality that is not what the majority of you are going to want to read. I want to give you real world info that you not only learn from but can apply in an easy and approachable format.

Now in regards to your statement about me not looking down on Powerlifters that decide to take the pharmaceutical route to capture that bigger total you are correct. I am not here to judge any lifter whether they are drug free or enhanced in regards to their lifestyle choices. I work with both schools of lifters as well as athletes of all sports and understand that it is the particular athlete in question’s choice to whether they want to use pharmaceuticals or not to enhance their performance. So yes I don’t look down upon anyone that decided to become enhanced nor do I criticize the drug free athlete in the choice that they have made. The one thing that I like so much about the sport of Powerlifting is the fact that we are realists. We are not like other sports that only offer a drug free division and then criticize when the athlete fails his drug test. This type of approach is only going to have lifters trying to beat the test. In Powerlifting if you want lift drug free you can and at the same time if you feel that you want your privacy kept in tact and want to take your performance to an upper echelon by using pharmaceuticals then you have that choice as well. So now that I have cleared up my stance on this topic let’s get to your question.

Now dealing with a pharmaceutically enhanced lifter from my standpoint is much different than working with a drug free athlete. The enhanced lifter will need to monitor his blood work more closely than his drug free counter part. Now don’t get me wrong here with the way most lifters do not take care of their health whether they are enhanced or not, most powerlifters should get blood work done either way to make sure that they are healthy. The first thing that I recommend to all Powerlifters that decide to use pharmaceuticals is to get a good Doctor that they can trust. This is essential that you have a medical professional that can do blood work with you every few months to see what your readings are on several different fronts. This should include a cardiovascular profile that outlines your LDL, HDL, Total Cholesterol and Homeocysteine levels. Your liver enzymes should also be monitored along with your kidney function as well. Your hormones also need to be monitored including your Total Testosterone, Free Testosterone, Estrogen, and Cortisol. There are other markers as well that should be monitored but that is an article in itself so I will just give you the basic bases that should be covered.

It is also important that you can go to a medical professional that you can truthfully discuss what you are doing with your enhancement program. Now, since I don’t know what part of the world you are from, but if you live in North America this can be much harder than you think. There is a major stigma attached to those who use performance enhancing drugs and many categorize them together with people who even use narcotics. Of course this is pure stupidity but it is a reality due to the media onslaught that is present in North America. Many doctors will just tell you to stop and in reality most have very little knowledge into the science of performance enhancing drugs. To cover up their lack of knowledge they will just criticize the user. It is not like this in other parts of the world where these drugs are legal and can be purchased from a pharmacy with a prescription the same way you pick up Penicillin. In Europe and Asia, Doctors are much more liberal in regards to performance enhancement so if you do live there your quest to find a Doctor will be much easier. No matter where you are in the world it is important that you can confide in a medical professional that you can trust and will monitor you without being overbearing to the choices you have made.

So you are looking for some natural supplements and herbs to help protect your health during your cycle. Well I will give you props here because the large majority that do take performance enhancing drugs are not as concerned as you. This is a good thing because an ounce of prevention is with more than a pound of cure. Now one of the problems that some lifters run into is the fact that there are many different side effects that you will be trying to protect yourself from all at the same time. This may call for taking several different products several times per day to get the desired effects. Not only can this be annoying for the individual but at the same time it may not be realistic. There are some people that can follow a regimented supplement plan and they never miss a beat even if they need to take 10 different natural supplements 3-4 times per day. But for others just getting them to take a once day multivitamin can seem like a chore. So what I am going to recommend here is no doubt the best single preventative formula that contains several different proven ingredients all in one formula. The answer is Cycle Support and it is made by a company called Anabolic Innovations.

Why Cycle Support is so Important

Now you may be asking me why I like this formula for the chemically enhanced athlete. Well the fact is there are way too many beneficial ingredients in this one power packed formula to ignore it. That’s right it contains eight different ingredients and is formulated to provide a synergistic effect to get maximum benefit and protection for those that use steroids in their training plan. Let’s take a look at each specific ingredient so that you understand how each one can help protect you from the side effects associated with your pharmaceutical plan.

• NAC which is know as N-Acetylcysteine is one form of the amino acid Cysteine

• One benefit of NAC is the strengthening effects that it has on your immune system. This is very important because there are many individuals that use pharmaceuticals and one of the things that they will tell you is that they suffer from colds more often when they are on their cycle compared to when they are off

• NAC also increases the production of the enzyme Glutathione which is one of the most potent antioxidants known to man

• Different studies have shown that individuals that have immune deficiency conditions often have low levels of Glutathione in their body

• Another major benefit of NAC is the effects that it has one the respiratory system.

• It can help breakdown mucus in the lungs which is something many different people suffer from especially those with Asthma

• NAC in my opinion is what I would consider a “Base Supplement” due to the fact that it has so many health benefits that all lifters can take advantage of

Milk Thistle

• Milk thistle is one supplement that all Powerlifters if they decide to go the Anabolic route should use as a staple

• The major benefit that Milk Thistle has is on your liver. It has been shown over and over to help protect your liver from damage from numerous different toxins.

• It is a well known fact among Powerlifters that many of the most popular drugs especially precontest are oral steroids

• The reason for this is the fact that they increase strength dramatically, they kick in very fast due to their short half lives, they increase aggression the best, and the water retention they cause will improve your leverages

• Now the down side to these bad boys is the fact they are some of the harshest on your liver. Since they are Alpha Alkalated 17 (C-17AA) structured they cause it to pass through the liver twice whereas injectable steroids pass through the liver only once which leads to less liver strain.

• Supplementing daily with Milk Thistle can dramatically help prevent the side effects associated with oral steroid use. Powerlifters who do use pharmaceuticals take note because it is a well known fact that as contest time approaches so does the dose increase of oral steroids

• Milk Thistle has shown positive results in every form of liver disease including hepatitis, cerosis, and necroses

• Another beneficial factor that should be paid attention to is the fact that these benefits also included damage done by drug or alcohol use

• Firstly it can inhibit factors that cause different forms of liver damage

• Secondly it actually stimulates new liver cell production to replenish the damaged liver cells

• The active ingredient in Milk Thistle is Silybinin and not only does it have so many benefits to the liver but is also a potent antioxidant

• Now something you may not have known unless you have studied this before but Sylibin is one part of the chemical layout of flavoligan silymarine

• Now some of you may not care about the science behind the chemical structures of this amazing plant but you all should take note of how it helps the liver

• Now how this important chemical works is truly amazing. It actually alters the liver membrane structure which then leads to the blocking of harmful toxins into the cell

• It also increases the intercellular concentration of Gluthothione. This may not sound important to you but it should. Gluthothione is one of the main substances that are responsible for detoxifying your liver cells.

• So as you can see using oral anabolic steroids and not using Milk Thistle is like driving a race car without a seat belt on…plain and simple it’s a stupid move!

• Now for those of you who are “Heart Conscious” then this is the supplement for you

• Policosanol can actually help lower your bad or LDL cholesterol and at the same time increase your good or HDL cholesterol

• Now what is even more amazing than this is the fact that Policosanol actually does a lot more than just affect your current cholesterol reading.

• It can actually stop the formation of artery lesions. If this doesn’t make you sit up and take notice then nothing will.

• Policosanol also inhibits LDL oxidation.

• For those of you who don’t know what this means let me explain. This LDL oxidation causes chronic inflammation and leads to the actual destruction of your blood vessels. Oh now you are paying attention.

• Another benefit is it helps control metalloproteinase enzymes. The reason why this is so important is the fact that they also help cause destruction to blood vessels in your heart because they block the benefits that your good or HDL cholesterol provides.

• Now to top off all these fantastic cardiovascular benefits is the fact that Policosanol also helps prevent blood clots that lead to heart attacks.

• This supplement alone makes this product worth its weight in gold for how much benefit it offers to your cardiovascular profile.

Celery Seed

• Studies have shown that Celery seed can help not only lower your blood pressure but also your LDL or bad cholesterol as well

• For those of you who suffer from the aches and pains of heavy duty training week after week listen up

• Celery seed has been shown to have anti inflammatory benefits as well as reduce swelling around joints

• It has shown a lot of promise for those suffering with arthritis, gout and rheumatism as well

• It has numerous benefits for the urinary tracts system to help prevent infections and if you have ever had one of these than you know they are not fun.

• Now one of the benefits that I particularly like is the fact Celery Seeds help in the digestion of protein. Remember its not only how much protein you are taking in each day its how much you are absorbing, so this can be of great digestive benefit for all lifters

Idebenone

• Idebenone is a similar analog to another compound known as CoQ10 but is actually better

• One benefits of Idebenone is that it raises the brain’s levels of Serotonin

• It has also been shown to increase nerve growth factors in the brain as well

• It is also known to have nootropic benefits too, which relates to how well you can focus and concentrate at the task at hand

• Some individuals have also noticed improvement with depression as well when supplementing with Idebenone

• Saw Palmetto’s popularity has grown greatly in the last decade with those looking to improve their health

• The most common usage for this powerful plant is for conditions related to the male prostate gland

• This includes conditions such as (BPH) or what is known as Benign Prostate Hypertrophy

• To understand how this herb works you need to know the mechanism behind its actions

• Saw Palmetto helps prevent the conversion of Testosterone through the 5-alpha reductase enzyme to Dihydrotestosterone or what is known as (DHT)

• DHT is what is responsible for the cell replication in the prostate which then leads to its increase in size leading to the above problem of BPH

• Now how does this relate to the Powerlifter who is using steroids?

• It is a well known fact that when you are using a form of Testosterone through injection some of it can aromatize into Estrogen or DHT

• So if someone who never took Anabolics may latter down the road as they age suffer from BPH what does that say about someone who may have used pharmaceuticals for 10-20 years?

• This means that you are at a greater chance of having prostate conditions like BPH if you are using androgens that can convert to DHT

• It also has many benefits for the bladder including improving urinary flow

• It is known to decrease bladder inflammation which is one of the causes of frequent night time urination. This can help a lot for those that suffer from this condition because it is really annoying to have to wake up every couple hours to relieve yourself.

• Saw Palmetto has too many other benefits to mention here but it is no doubt a great addition to this health stack

Nettle Root

• Nettle Root is also known as Urtica Dioica and has become very popular for many reasons in recent years

• It is known to have positive effects for those that suffer from BPH

• The combination of the Saw Palmetto and Nettle Root stacked together is one very potent formula to help deal with different prostate issues.

• Nettle Root’s unique chemical structure can delay the cells of the prostate to hypertrophy by affecting specific enzymes that relate to this condition

• Another major benefit to Nettle Root is the fact that it reduces your blood level of SBHG.

• For those of you not understanding it stands for Steroid Binding Hormone Globulin (SBHG).

• Now what makes Nettle Root so important is the fact that SBHG binds to the hormone Testosterone that is present in your blood stream and inactivates it

• Yea so what it does is basically in layman’s terms, “sucks it up” and renders it non usable

• This means less of the Testosterone your body makes or if you go the pharmaceutical route, the less you administer, will be free and usable to produce muscle growth and strength increases. Now doesn’t that suck!

• This should make both the drug free Powerlifter as well as the enhanced lifter take notice since you always want to maximize your Free Floating Testosterone level. Once it is bound with SBHG it is basically useless for what you want to benefit from it as a strength athlete